Overview

Note: All classes within the Microbiology Capstone require the signature of the instructor before enrollment.

This capstone experience was designed to foster your ability to integrate information, ideas and concepts from earlier courses, to apply them to current research and to communicate your findings both in written form and in a formal presentation/discussion format involving other students. Microbiology Capstone Experience is a combination of two senior-level microbiology courses for a total of three credit hours:

The first course is the Experiential Component. It is selected by the student and consists of at least two credit hours of one of the following:

Senior Internship (MBI 410) - microbiology-related work experience in government agencies, industry, or academia in conjunction with a faculty mentor.

Research Problems (MBI 440) - library research in conjunction with a faculty mentor.

Independent Studies (MBI 477.R) - laboratory research in conjunction with a faculty mentor.

Departmental Honors (MBI 480) - laboratory or library research in conjunction with a faculty mentor, but open only to students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

The second course is the Seminar Component, one credit hour of Undergraduate Seminar (MBI 490) which continues the theme of independent learning, combined with reflection, critical thinking, engaging other learners in a format that includes presentation and discussion.

Experiential Component

For the Experiential Component of your Microbiology Capstone Experience, you will pursue independent study in conjunction with a faculty mentor. As you begin this component, you will choose a faculty mentor whose research area you find interesting or aligns with your internship plan. With your mentor’s help, you will develop a plan that is relevant to the mentor’s field of expertise, but uniquely yours. Although it is your responsibility to carry out your research project, you will do it under close supervision of your faculty mentor. Typically, you will meet at least once a week with him/her to review your progress.

If you are doing an internship (MBI 410 or 480), you will identify the internship in which you will participate, develop a set of goals, expected outcomes and educational benefit in conjunction with your mentor. In addition, a plan for faculty mentoring and supervision will be an important part of this contract. Upon completion of the internship, you will write an analytical and reflective paper based on what you have experienced and how it integrates with your educational goals.

If you are doing library research (MBI 440 or 480), you will choose a topic, conduct extensive literature review, discuss your findings with your mentor and write an analytical paper based on what you have learned.

If you are doing laboratory research (MBI 477.R or 480), you will generate a proposal based on literature review and discussions with your mentor. You will then perform the proposed research in your mentor's laboratory and submit a written report based on your findings.

Pursuing independent research in-depth promotes integration of knowledge, ideas and concepts from earlier experiences with new information for synthesis of new concepts and ideas. It provides opportunities for you to build on your previous course work, and should help focus your attention on social responsibilities and ramifications of scientific research. Thus, it will foster your development of a better understanding of microbiology and its relationship to other topics of social significance. Further, you will recognize that most scientific issues can be viewed from a variety of important perspectives and become better able to distinguish between evidence and emotional rhetoric. You will keep a journal that recounts your notes, thoughts and ideas pertaining to your literature review and research experiences, and you will submit a written project report to your faculty mentor at the end of the research component of your capstone experience. To allow time for adequate reflection on the outcome of the research component and to put it into social as well as scientific perspective, you are encouraged to complete the research component of your capstone before you enroll in the seminar component.

Seminar Component

For the Seminar Component of your Microbiology Capstone Experience, you will enroll in:

Undergraduate Seminar (MBI 490)

which continues the theme of independent learning, combined with engaging other learners in a format that requires individual oral presentations and encourages discussion. This component will provide you with experience in public speaking, which will foster development of your ability to communicate orally. Because you will answer questions asked during your presentation, you will also improve your ability to “think on your feet” in a public forum. It will also engage everyone in your seminar group in open discussions, with dissenting opinions, concerning how data support or refute positions on current scientific issues and on the social ramifications of those positions. Further, it will provide you with experience in effective analysis of oral communication when you analyze a scientist’s presentation of her/his research in a forum outside this class.

In summary, Microbiology Capstone Experience blends laboratory research, literature review, and/or internship experience in government agencies, industry, or academia with discussions with a faculty mentor, writing a formal report and giving an individual oral presentation. It will foster development of your:

Internship Component of Microbiology Capstone Experience

Internship Component Courses

Internship Component Objectives

These courses were designed to allow you to pursue microbiology-related work experience in government agencies, industry, or academia in conjunction with a faculty mentor. By participating in an internship, you will gain “real world” experience in a scientific field. By keeping a journal of your experiences, ideas and thoughts about what you are doing, you will learn how to analyze your experiences and integrate your “real world” experience with your educational experience. By writing your analytical and reflective paper, you will learn how to interpret your internship experience in the context of your education, and present scientific findings and conclusions. This combination of activities promotes integration of knowledge, ideas and concepts from earlier courses with new information that is used for synthesis of new concepts and ideas, and is intended to foster development of a better understanding of microbiology and its relationship to other topics of social significance.

Internship Component Requirements

If you are doing an internship (MBI 410), you will identify the internship in which you will participate, develop a set of goals, expected outcomes and educational benefit in conjunction with your mentor. In addition, a plan for faculty mentoring and supervision will be an important part of this contract. Upon completion of the internship, you will write an analytical and reflective paper based on what you have experienced and how it integrates with your educational goals.

Before beginning your internship experience, you must:

Identify a suitable microbiology-related work experience (internship) in a government agency, industry, or academia. This experience could include some aspect of research, such that the final paper would address a research problem. Alternatively, the internship could include experience from which you can draw on to develop a final paper that addresses socioeconomic, moral and ethical issues related to microbiology.

During and after completion of your internship, you must write a reflective and analytical paper.

Generate an outline of the final report, including a statement of the problem (hypothesis) and specific aims of the research project if your internship was research based; otherwise including the socioeconomic, moral and/or ethical issues to be addressed.

Identify relevant literature for each section (so you come to understand the basic arguments underlying a currently debated scientific concept, idea or policy in detail).

Write each section (in an analytical manner that will foster better understanding of the microbiology involved and its relationship to other topics of social significance).

Write appropriate Introduction and Conclusion sections.

Integrate all sections and submit your ~10-page (double-spaced) paper to your faculty mentor. (In this paper, you will be expected to critically evaluate your internship experience, including discussing strengths and potential limitations of your research methods, and insight you have gained regarding socioeconomic, moral and ethical issues related to your internship experience.)

Internship Component Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on your performance of the activities listed above.

Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by the quality of your preparation for the internship and your participation in your weekly interactions with your mentor.

Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by the quality of entries of your journal, especially entries that demonstrate development of new insights that address the relationship between your internship and your educational goals, as well as a reflection on social implications and moral and ethical issues related to your and the “real world” experience.

Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by the satisfactorily completing the internship.

Forty percent of your grade will be determined by the scientific quality of your final paper, with emphasis on its reflective and analytical aspects.

Library Component of Microbiology Capstone Experience

Library Component Courses

Library Component Objectives

These courses were designed to allow you to pursue independent library research on a microbiology topic in conjunction with a faculty mentor. By extensively reviewing the literature on your topic, you will learn how to determine the state of the art in a scientific field. By keeping a journal of your research notes, experiences, ideas and thoughts about what you are doing, you will learn how to analyze your experiences and incorporate them into your world view. By writing your research paper, you will learn how to interpret and present scientific findings and conclusions. This combination of activities promotes integration of knowledge, ideas and concepts from earlier courses with new information that is used for synthesis of new concepts and ideas, and is intended to foster development of a better understanding of microbiology and its relationship to other topics of social significance.

Library Component Requirements

Choose a faculty mentor and an appropriate research topic (that will provoke discussion as well as necessitating reading of and familiarization with background literature and issues).

Begin your journal (summarizes and analyzes your thoughts and those of others, including notes pertaining to your literature review and research experiences).

Perform an extensive literature search for each section (so you come to understand the basic arguments underlying a currently debated scientific concept, idea or policy in detail).

Generate an outline of the main considerations of each section.

Write each section (in an analytical manner that will foster better understanding of the microbiology involved and its relationship to other topics of social significance).

Write appropriate Introduction and Conclusion sections.

Integrate all sections and submit your ~20-page (double-spaced) paper to your faculty mentor. (In this paper, you will be expected to critically evaluate your work, including discussing strengths and potential limitations of your research methods, and socioeconomic, moral and ethical issues related to your topic in addition to evaluating and discussing your library research findings.)

Library Component Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on your performance of the activities listed above.

Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by the quality of your library research and your preparation (outlines, etc.) for your weekly interactions with your mentor.

Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by the quality of entries of your journal, especially entries that demonstrate development of new insights about social implications as well as moral and ethical issues related to your topic.

Sixty percent of your grade will be determined by the scientific quality of your research paper, with emphasis on its analytical aspects.

Laboratory Component of Microbiology Capstone Experience

Laboratory Component Courses

Laboratory Component Objectives

These courses were designed to allow you to pursue independent laboratory research on a microbiology topic in conjunction with a faculty mentor. By writing a research proposal, you will learn how to determine and describe the state of the art of your research area, develop a hypothesis and generate specific aims to serve as foci for designing experiments to answer scientific questions about your research topic. By learning the techniques needed to carry out your research project, you will expand your horizons and develop scientific expertise. By keeping a journal of your research notes, experiences, ideas and thoughts about what you are doing, you will learn how to analyze your experiences and incorporate them into your world view. By performing your experiments and writing your research report, you will learn how to generate, interpret and present research results. This combination of activities promotes integration of knowledge, ideas and concepts from earlier courses with new information that is used for synthesis of new concepts and ideas, and is intended to foster development of a better understanding of microbiology and its relationship to other topics of social significance.

Laboratory Component Requirements

Choose a faculty mentor and an appropriate research topic

Begin your journal (summarizes and analyzes your thoughts and those of others, including notes pertaining to your literature review and research experiences)

Generate an outline of the proposed research, including a statement of the problem (hypothesis) and specific aims of the research project

Perform an extensive literature search (to foster your ability to reflect on details relating to an important, controversial topic in your field, and so you come to understand the basic arguments underlying a currently debated scientific concept in detail)

Integrate all sections and submit final research report to faculty mentor (In this report, you will be expected to critically evaluate your work, including discussing strengths and potential limitations of your research methods, and socioeconomic, moral and ethical issues related to your topic in addition to evaluating and discussing your laboratory research findings.)

Laboratory Component Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on your performance of the activities listed above.

Forty percent of your grade will be determined by the quality of your research and your preparation (outlines, etc.) for weekly interactions with your mentor.

Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by the quality of entries of your journal, especially entries that demonstrate development of new insights concerning social implications as well as moral and ethical issues related to your topic.

Forty percent of your grade will be determined by the scientific quality of your final research report, with emphasis on its analytical aspects.

Note: Departmental Honors (MBI 480) is open only to students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Seminar Component of Microbiology Capstone Experience

Seminar Component Course

Undergraduate Seminar (MBI 490)

Seminar Component Objectives

Oral presentation is one of the most important means of communication used by scientists to present and share their results and ideas. By presenting a seminar and becoming involved in the presentations made by other students in your class, you will learn how to prepare, deliver, participate in, interpret and critically evaluate scientific seminars. In addition, you will learn a great deal of new microbiology, because you will be discussing a number of research projects that have come to fruition during the past year. Throughout the preparation and presentation of your seminar, and your participation in the seminars of your classmates, you will be expected to reflect on the socioeconomic, moral and ethical implications of the research, to consider and evaluate strengths and potential limitations of the methods used and to critically evaluate your work as well as that of others. You will be strongly encouraged to integrate this information into the "world model" you are generating as a result of your exposure to new concepts and ideas in your courses and in your other life experiences. Successful completion of this course will require you to accomplish four basic goals of a liberal education: thinking critically, understanding contexts, engaging with other learners, and reflecting and acting.

Seminar Component Requirements

As the semester progresses, each student in this course will deliver a seminar during class time. Seminars will be based on results of original scientific research in microbiology, and will consist of a 30-35 minute oral presentation followed by a 10-15 minute discussion period. The source of the information upon which your seminar is based depends on your prior experience. Those who have conducted independent research (either laboratory-based or library-based), will present the results of their research. Those who have not conducted research of their own, will present a paper that has been published by someone else in the professional literature of microbiology during the past year. In your seminar, you will be expected to critically evaluate your work, including discussing strengths and potential limitations of your research methods, and discussing socioeconomic, moral and ethical issues related to your research topic as integrated features of your presentation. You are expected to attend each presentation, to actively participate in the discussions and to serve as a peer evaluator for each speaker. In addition, you must attend one seminar outside class and provide a written critique of that presentation (for content, style, manner of presentation, etc.)

Seminar Component Schedule

Advising Handbooks and Worksheets

Advising Handbooks and Worksheets

These are available in the department office (212 Pearson Hall), and by email upon request.

Microbiology Programs Handbook (PDF 1.5MB)

B.S. in Microbiology
Student/Advisor Worksheet (PDF 50KB)

A.B. in Microbiology
Student/Advisor Worksheet (PDF 50KB)

B.S. in Medical Lab
Science Student/Advisor Worksheet (PDF 50KB)

Minor in Molecular Biology
Student/Advisor Worksheet (PDF 50KB)

Department of Microbiology

With areas of emphasis in Molecular Microbiology, Microbial Pathogenesis and Environmental Microbiology, the Department of Microbiology provides our majors a wide range of laboratory experiences and a faculty that is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research.